The Win a Kindle Contest Rages On.

I've been writing my little back side off today to make up for lost time earlier this week and from the holiday, so I haven't taken the time to update my blog. For shame!

But, if you came by looking for information on my Do You Believe win a Kindle (and more great prizes) Contest, you can find them here.

Should you have happened by looking for info on my brand new Christmas novella, Believe, here's a little peek:

The fire that had crackled with such vigor earlier had retreated to a scattering of embers. Their flickering light polished the room in tones of sepia and bronze. Every now and then Nikolai’s movements cast his face into the feeble light, teasing Virginia with glimpses of his features.

If he didn’t kiss her soon, she might just tie him down and ravish him. The man was beyond hot. And that fact that he only had eyes for her made him even more so!
Carved cheekbones were saved from harshness by his unfettered mane. Dark as pitch, it tumbled over shoulders broad enough to bear a world of troubles. He was tall, too, perhaps taller than any man she’d ever been this close too.

Had she not already known the kind, gentle soul who inhabited his body, she might have cringed in his shadow. She might even have run away. But now escape was the last thing on her mind. Never in her life had she felt such a hunger for a man’s touch. “About that kiss…”

“Anticipation is sweet, my love. Have patience.” His whisper was hoarse, heavy. He settled her onto the bed with all the delicacy one would a china doll. Bending forward, his hands skimmed her shoulders, pushing the ermine coverlet down, until it pooled on the mattress.

A whimper gathered in her throat and caught there.

His calloused palms grazed the length of her arms.

Her nipples tightened beneath the sheer fabric that stood guardian between her flesh and his. She caught the barest hint of a smile as his gaze dropped to her breasts and lingered there.

His smile widened.

That he liked what he saw pleased her, greatly.

Bending forward, he pressed one knee onto the bed. As he did so, moonlight illuminated his skin. It was pale and smooth, so utterly unflawed that Virginia couldn’t restrain the urge to smooth her palms over the slope of his shoulders, the taut crests of his biceps. Honestly, the light had to be playing tricks on her, because this man was perfect. Michelangelo’s David would have diminished in comparison.

Raising a hand, he swept back an errant curl that threatened her view. “I hope reality hasn’t disappointed you.”

Shaking her head no, she shivered. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was cold.

Before Virginia could utter a verbal response to his concerns, an ember popped in the fireplace, igniting the chamber with a golden promise of light. Resting her eyes on the totality of Nikolai’s face for the first time caused her heart to stumble. Her hand rose to her breast; her heartbeat galloped beneath her palm. Looking at his face was like watching the heroes of every girlhood fairy tale she’d ever heard step out of the realm of imagination and into reality. He was the rakish rogue, the exotic explorer, the handsome prince, all of those, all at once.

“Beautiful…” She sighed. It was the only word that came to mind. It didn’t begin to do him justice.

“Yes, you are,” he whispered.

Pressing her gently down onto the pillows, he bracketed her head with his forearms. The muscles that flexed and played beneath his flesh could have been cut from alabaster.Her thighs clenched against the rush of moisture that gathered there.
The moonlight fled just then, leaving her to wish she’d gleaned the color of his eyes.

“What’s your name?” she asked as his hands framed her face. She hated the thick sound of her voice, how it advertised her desire.

The embers danced and played. The raven’s wing arcs of his brows melded. “I thought you said you knew who I was.”

His breath smelled of cloves and wintergreen. “I did. I do. But you never told me what I should call you.”

“What do you want to call me?”

Virginia thought for a second.

His finger rode the edge of her jaw. Warm tingles danced up her spine. She sighed, lifting her gaze to his. She hadn’t felt this cherished since she was a little girl. “Hero comes to mind.”

“I’m no hero, Virginia. I’m just plain Nikolai, who had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time.” The finger that edged her jaw journeyed down, playing at the gilded knot that stood between her and nakedness.

“Nikolai.” It was the perfect name. “Kiss me, Ni-ko-lai…”

This time, he did not hesitate. His finger hitched beneath her chin, raising her mouth beneath his. Sighing, he bent closer, capturing her lower lip between his teeth.

Nibbling, tugging, he teased the crevice between her lips with the tip of his tongue. Her mouth parted to receive him. She tasted hints of snow and wine and musky male. Nikolai softened his jaw, deepening their kiss.

The whimper caged in Virginia’s throat broke free.

The world spun and turned over. She pressed her body closer to his. Her exhaustion floated away on the wings of his kiss; she swore she could hear the angels singing.

If she’d lost her grip on reality, then this was the way to do it.